Upcoming article: An examination of embodiment workshops through a clinical lens

I drafted a paper in the Spring of 2018 as part of my work to complete my comprehensive examinations in the doctoral program in Human Sexuality, Policy Leadership, at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).

It is an attempt at examining Celebrating the Body Erotic for Men, an embodied, experiential, transformational workshop exploring the power of eros in life, through a lens of somatic psychology and body psychotherapy. The workshop is offered by the Body Electric School. An excellent introduction to the workshop is available on YouTube.

Here is the abstract:

Working Title

Celebrating the Body Erotic for Men: A Theoretical Analysis of the Potential Therapeutic Value of a Structured Somatic Group Interaction

Andrés Cordero, Jr.
California Institute of Integral Studies

Abstract

The Body Electric School has offered an introductory experiential two-day workshop for exploring sexuality and spirituality, Celebrating the Body Erotic for Men, since 1984. After more than thirty years, the workshop continues to attract gay men to workshop locations across the United States and in select international locations. Anecdotally, many of these men claim to attend the workshop to seek alternative approaches in confronting life challenges1. Some of these challenges include issues in coping with societal stigma, body dysmorphic disorder, various forms of anxiety disorder, addictions, depressive disorders, or other psychological difficulties. Anecdotal evidence collected by the school suggests some participants find considerable value in addressing these challenges when they participate in the workshop2. In this paper, I consider the potential therapeutic benefits that the workshop may offer to some gay men. I explore some practices included in workshop sequences including their theoretical foundations, through the work of Michel Foucault, Wilhelm Reich, Stanislav Grof, and others. I conclude by outlining observations about research that could further demonstrate the value of the workshop for gay men challenged with psychological and circumstantial issues.

Plans for future publication

My intention is to revise this article with the goal of submitting it to academic journals for publication.

If you are interested in accessing this work for your personal, evaluative purposes only, I welcome your input and feedback, as this work will substantially inform my dissertation, which will take form in the summer and fall of 2018.

I thank you for honoring my request to keep this draft for your own personal purposes.

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I think what you’re doing is very important. I’m becoming a mental health educator. I teach lots of powerful skills but I think perhaps the most important one may be to love ourselves. What you are teaching fits very nicely with that; at least it certainly does in my own experience. ~ Webinar participant, Anonymous, September 2016